A Robust and Scalable Constant-$g_m$ Rail-to-Rail CMOS Input Stage With Dynamic Feedback for VLSI Cell Libraries

In this paper, we propose a robust and scalable constant- rail-to-rail CMOS input stage for VLSI cell libraries. The proposed circuit does not rely on the characteristics and particular operation (strong, moderate, and weak inversion) regions of the input transistors and is insensitive to mismatches between p- and n-channel devices. Only standard CMOS transistors are used in the circuit without any special devices, such as floating-gate or depletion-mode transistors. Very small variations (less than ) have been achieved without sacrificing the large-signal behavior. The proposed circuit is proven effective for both long-channel and deep sub-micron CMOS technologies and is suitable for VLSI cell libraries, audio/video, embedded mixed-signal system-on-chip (SoC), and other applications. A prototype amplifier with rail-to-rail input common-mode range has been designed and fabricated in a standard 0.35-m CMOS technology. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness and robustness of proposed techniques.     

0.9 V rail-to-rail constant gm CMOS amplifier input stage

Presented is a 0.9 V rail-to-rail constant g_m CMOS amplifier input stage consisting of complementary differential pairs and a g_m control circuit. The g_m control circuit eliminates the g_m dead zone, which occurs in the conventional rail-to-rail amplifier with ultra-low supply voltages. The proposed amplifier input stage has a constant g_m that varies by ±2.3% for rail-to-rail input common-mode levels. To verify the proposed amplifier design, an experimental prototype operational amplifier is also implemented using 0.35 mm standard CMOS technology.     

基于最小电流选择的运算放大器设计

设计了一种工作电压为3V恒跨导满幅CMOS运算放大器,针对轨对轨输入级中存在的跨导不恒定和简单AB类输出级性能偏差这2个问题,提出了利用最小电流选择电路来稳定输入级的总跨导;浮动电流源控制的无截止前馈AB类输出级实现了运放的满幅输出,同时减小了交越失真。该电路通过HSpice进行仿真验证,在0～3V输入共模范围内,输入级跨导的变化小于3.3%,开环增益为93dB,单位增益带宽为8MHz,相位裕量为66°。     

一种恒跨导轨对轨CMOS运算放大器的设计

设计了一种新颖的恒跨导轨对轨CMOS运算放大器结构。输入级采用轨对轨的结构,在输入级采用4个虚拟差分对管来对输入差分对的电流进行限制,使运放的输入级跨导在工作范围内保持恒定。输出级采用前馈式AB类输出结构,以使输出达到全摆幅。仿真结果显示,在5 V电源电压和带有10 pF电容与10 kΩ电阻并联的负载下,该运放在共模输入范围内实现了恒跨导,在整个共模输入范围内跨导变化率仅为3%,输出摆幅也达到了轨对轨全摆幅,运放的开环增益为108.5 dB,增益带宽积为26.7 MHz,相位裕度为76.3°。     

一种亚阈区工作的轨至轨输入CMOS运放设计

基于0.34 CMOS工艺,设计了一个Rail-to-Rail输入,静态电流小于3,工作在亚阈区的极低功耗运算放大器.采用一个电流开关和一个电流镜,并结合工作在亚阈区的互补输入差分对,保证了输入级的恒定跨导.在求和电路部分采用对称求和以及浮动电流源技术,极大的提高电路电压增益和频率极点的稳定性.同时讨论了一种设计亚阈区工作电路所采取的方法.Hspice仿真结果表明,该运放在全摆幅输入范围内,能保证输入级跨导的变化在-2%～-4%之间.     

General purpose rail-to-rail input circuit with constant behaviour for VLSI cell libraries

A general purpose rail-to-rail input stage suitable for analogue and mixed signal applications and compatible with modern submicron CMOS technologies, is introduced. The circuit provides, simultaneously, a constant small- and large-signal behaviour over the entire input common-mode voltage range, whilst imposing no appreciable constraint for high-frequency operation. Experimental results are given.     

Some Design Aspects of a Two-Stage Rail-to-Rail CMOS Op Amp

A two-stage low-voltage CMOS op amp with rail-to-rail input and output voltage ranges is presented. The circuit uses complementary differential input pairs to achieve the rail-to-rail common-mode input voltage range. The differential pairs operate in strong inversion, and the constant transconductance is obtained by keeping the sum of the square roots of the tail currents constant. Such an input stage has an offset voltage which depends on the common input voltage level, resulting in a poor common-mode rejection ratio. Therefore, special attention has been given to the reduction of the op amp's systematic offset voltage. Gain-boost amplifiers are connected in a special way to provide not only an increase of the low-frequency open-loop gain, but also to provide a significant reduction of the systematic offset voltage.     

Compact CMOS constant-gm rail-to-rail input stage with gm-control by an electronic zener diode

A family of compact CMOS rail-to-rail input stages with constant-g _m is presented. To attain a constant-g_m over the whole common-mode input range, an electronic zener diode is inserted between the tails of the complementary input pairs. This zener keeps the sum of the gate-source voltages of the input pairs, and therefore the g _m of the rail-to-rail input stage, constant. Two possible implementations of the zener have been realized and inserted in a rail-to-rail input stage. These input stages are implemented in two two-stage compact amplifiers. Both amplifiers have been realized in a 1 μm BiCMOS process. They have a unity-gain frequency of 2-MHz, for a capacitive load of 20 pF     

Effective parameter extraction using multiple-objective function for VLSI circuits

In this paper an input stage and an output stage are presented for application in low-voltage CMOS operational amplifiers. The input stage operates in strong inversion and has a rail-to-rail common-mode input voltage range. The transconductance (g _m ) is insensitive to the common-mode input voltage. The class AB output stage has a rail-to-rail output range. A class AB control circuit prevents any transistors in the output stage from switching off. This improves the large-signal high-frequency behavior and the step response of the amplifier. A complete two-stage Op Amp employing the proposed input and output stages was realized in a semi-custom CMOS process with minimum channel lengths of 10µm and transistor threshold voltages of approximately 0.7 V. The measured minimum supply voltage is 2.5 V. The measured input voltage range exceeds the supply rails and the output voltage reaches both rails within 130 mV. The unity-gain bandwidth of the complete Op Amp is severely limited by the long channel lengths. Simulations show that a unity-gain bandwidth of 7 MHz is feasible if 2.5µm channel lengths are used.     

一种宽带恒定跨导轨对轨运算放大器的设计

介绍了一种具有轨对轨输入功能的CMOS输入级电路。该电路克服了一般运算放大器只能工作在一定共模输入范围的输入级的缺陷，在各种共模输入电平下有着几乎恒定的跨导，使频率补偿更容易实现，且由于其工作原理与MOS晶体管的C—V解析关系无关，对制造工艺依赖性小，适用于深亚微米工艺。在此基础上，设计出了一种宽带的运算放大器，该运算放大器具有轨对轨输入、输出能力，可以作为常用模拟电路的基本单元模块。它没有严格的共模输入限制，跨导和整体性能稳定，适于为更大规模的数字／模拟混合信号系统提供行为级模型。     

低功耗恒定跨导轨对轨运算放大器设计技术研究

为了解决轨对轨运算放大器输入级跨导随共模输入电压变化的影响,采用实时共模电压监测技术,动态跟踪轨对轨运放输入级的跨导变化,通过对偏置电流的高精度定量补偿,从而实现了对输入级跨导的恒定性控制。基于0.18μm CMOS工艺进行了具体电路的设计实现,结果表明:在电源电压3.3 V、负载电阻100Ω、负载电容1 nF的条件下,运放增益为148 dB、相位裕度为61°、功耗为39.6μW,共模输入范围高达0~3.3 V,输入级跨导变化率仅为2.1%。     

Constant-Gm rail-to-rail common-mode rangeinput stage with minimum CMRR degradation

The inherent drawbacks associated with CMOS amplifiers with rail-to-rail input common-mode range (CMR) are addressed. It is shown how they impact on the amplifier and limit its performance. An input stage, suitable to be incorporated in the design of any amplifier topology with extended input range, is introduced. By controlling the bias current level as a function of the input common-mode voltage, the input stage provides simultaneously an almost constant total transconductance and over 18 dB of common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) improvement in comparison to the classical approach with just 5 V of total supply voltage. Experimental results obtained from the evaluation of a prototype chip fabricated in a standard CMOS p-well process with 2-μm feature size are given     

Current mode instrumentation amplifier with rail-to-rail input and output

This paper presents the results from an investigation on the implementation of Current Mode Instrumentation Amplifiers (CMIAs) with rail-to-rail operational amplifiers (op amp) with a gm control circuit. The objective of employing rail-to-rail op amps in the implementation of a CMIA is the improvement of the common-mode operation range. The enhancement of the input common mode range (ICMR) is obtained using op amps with a rail-to-rail input stage followed by a cascode-based output stage. A prototype of the CMIA was implemented in standard 0.6 μm XFAB CMOS technology. Test results showed that the CMIA common mode range was extended but with moderated CMRR. To minimize this issue the amplifier was re-designed and sent to fabrication. Simulations with the components variations included were performed and showed the enhancement of the CMRR can be expected.     

Push-pull current circuit for biasing CMOS amplifiers with rail-to-rail input common-mode range

A push-pull current circuit for biasing CMOS amplifiers with rail-to-rail input common-mode range is presented. By means of a feedback action, the circuit avoids the large magnitude deviations inherent to this type of amplifier and thus facilitates their optimisation and compensation. Simulated and experimental results obtained from a fabricated 2 mu m CMOS test chip are reported.<>     

A rail-to-rail amplifier input stage with /spl plusmn/0.35%g/sub m/ fluctuation

A new scheme for achieving rail-to-rail input to an amplifier is introduced. Constant g/sub m/ is obtained by using tunable level shifters and a single differential pair. Feedback circuitry controls the level shifters in a manner that fixes the common-mode input of the differential pair, resulting in consistent and stable operation for rail-to-rail inputs. As the new technique avoids using complimentary input differential pairs, this method overcomes problems such as common-mode rejection ratio and gain-bandwidth product degradation that exist in many other designs. The circuit was fabricated in 0.5-/spl mu/m process. The resulting differential pair had a constant transconductance that varied by only /spl plusmn/0.35% for rail-to-rail input common-mode levels. The input common-mode range extended well past the supply levels of /spl plusmn/1.5V, resulting in only /spl plusmn/1% fluctuation in g/sub m/ for input common modes from -2 to 2 V.     

Common-Mode Response Overlapping vs. Shaping in Rail-to-Rail Op-Amp Input Stages

In this paper, a circuit technique—common-mode (CM) response overlapping—for maintaining the small-signal behavior of rail-to-rail amplifiers nearly constant over the whole input CM range, is introduced. This technique modifies the CM response of the rail-to-rail input stage adequately by means of two constant input floating voltage sources, which are adjusted by using a static tuning section. Its performance is compared with a second technique—CM response shaping—, which is also based on two variable input floating voltage sources, but relies on a dynamic feedback tuning loop. Experimental results obtained from two 3-V 0.8-m CMOS single-stage rail-to-rail amplifiers, which operate with CM response overlapping and shaping, respectively, are provided.     

0．6VCMOS轨至轨运算放大器

为适应低压低功耗设计的应用,设计了一种超低电源电压的轨至轨CMOS运算放大器。采用N沟道差分对和共模电平偏移的P沟道差分对来实现轨至轨信号输入．。当输入信号的共模电平处于中间时,P沟道差分对的输入共模电平会由共模电平偏移电路降低,以使得P沟道差分对工作。采用对称运算放大器结构,并结合电平偏移电路来构成互补输入差分对。采用0．13μm的CMOS工艺制程,在0．6V电源电压下,HSpice模拟结果表明,带10pF电容负载时,运算放大器能实现轨至轨输入,其性能为：功耗390μw,直流增益60dB,单位增益带宽22MHz,相位裕度80°。     

A rail-to-rail input stage with constant signal behavior in 0.12 μm CMOS

This paper introduces a new fully differential low-voltage rail-to-rail input stage structure, which possesses a constant small- and large-signal behavior over the entire input common-mode range, and is suitable for low supply voltage applications in deep-submicron technologies. The proposed input stage is fabricated with two different opamp architectures in pure digital 0.12 μm CMOS technology for experimental verification. At ±0.5 V supply, the small-signal behavior variation is 5.45% across the supply rail. The large-signal behavior is constant at different input common-mode levels. The maximum current needed for the signal behavior regulation is only 90 μA.     

Low-voltage constant-gm rail-to-rail CMOS operational amplifier input stage

This paper presents a rail-to-rail constant-g_m operational amplifier input stage. The proposed circuit changes the tail current of the input differential pairs dynamically for a constant-g_m by using dummy input differential pairs. The problem which causes total g_m variation is input pairs and dummy input pairs can not take effect at the same time with the common-mode input voltage changes, because the tail current transistor of the input pairs are in triode region when the input pairs are turned off, the dummy input pairs will enter subthreshold region from cut-off region before the input pairs when common-mode voltage changes. The effect of this problem is more obviously in low supply voltage design. To solve this problem, compensate current sources is added to the tail current transistors of each dummy input differential pairs for lower g_m variation. The g_m of this Op Amp’s input stage varies around ±2%.     

A high bandwidth constant gm and slew-rate rail-to-railCMOS input circuit and its application to analog cells for low voltageVLSI systems

A new rail-to-rail CMOS input architecture is presented that delivers behavior nearly independent of the common-mode level in terms of both transconductance and slewing characteristics. Feedforward is used to achieve high common-mode bandwidth, and operation does not rely on analytic square law characteristics, making the technique applicable to deep submicron technologies. From the basis of a transconductor design, an asynchronous comparator and a video bandwidth op amp are also developed, providing a family of general purpose analog circuit functions which may be used in high (and low) bandwidth mixed-signal systems. Benefits for the system designer are that the need for rigorous control of common-mode levels is avoided and input signal swings right across the power supply range can be easily handled. A further benefit is that having very consistent performance, the circuits can be easily described in VHDL (or other behavioral language) to allow simulation of large mixed-signal systems. The circuits presented may be easily adapted for a range of requirements. Results are presented for representative transconductor, op amp, and comparator designs fabricated in a 0.5 μm 3.3 V digital CMOS process